Princess Jellyfish esque
by flyyyaway
Summary: This is sort of another universe with a very kuranosuke-like character meeting an otaku girl in the united states. i just love how he is and so wanted to experiment with a similar character.
1. Chapter 1

I really can't handle the stylish. Whenever one deigns to talk to me, I tend to smile awkwardly and nod a lot. I never know what to say so it's easier this way.

But this one, for some reason… was still talking to me. Why wasn't she bored yet? Why wasn't she walking away?

"Well it's been nice talking to you, but I need to head home now," I finally get the courage to break away.  
"I'll walk with you!"

"Really?" I didn't really mind, but I was surprised. "I mean sure, I don't mind."

And she continued with me. Maybe she just liked to hear herself talk. Because I wasn't adding much to the conversation.

"Well, this is it." I mumbled when we got to my house. I liked it because it was ghetto and took on the grunge feel, a personality I had never really mastered but enjoyed wearing the style. But it was worrisome to suddenly have someone so fashionable gazing at my rundown house.

"Whoa! It's so old-looking! So retro!"

My lip curled a bit in pleasure. "Retro" was a good word.

"Can I see your room?" She turned to me excitedly.

Again I didn't really mind but I was taken aback. "Um sure," I said as we walked up the stairs and unlocked the door. "Anyone home?" I called as we stepped inside. NO one answered and I sorta sighed in relief. I didn't want to answer questions about this obviously glamorous person.

"This is it," I could feel myself turning pink as she bustled around, exclaiming about my bandana and tie dye wall covers and the indian style wall hangings. I was pleased that someone was appreciating my dumb crafts.

"This place really is great," she nodded triumphantly after I had walked her outside. I'll have to come visit again sometime soon!" She grinned my way.

And with an "okay, see you later!" called over her shoulder, she minced away, her curls bouncing against her shoulders.

I waved as she walked away I really hoped she was being rhetorical and that she wasn't really planning on coming back. I'm not sure how my roommates would view her. And I didn't really want to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

We can't hear so much as feel the bass from the frat ish house up the street. Maybe party-house would be a more appropriate title. It's a Friday night. The roomies are hidden away in their various corners. Sara is playing videogames. Victoria is reading. Jessica is likely on yet another netflix movie marathon. Vera is probably actually studying. And Kace might be here, she might not. We never know.

And I'm not doing too much better switching between online comics and an art forum, browsing hippie styled portraits. I can't help but dig dreadlocks.

So the hours are slowly slipping away as we spend our pathetic Fridays alone. It's around 2 am and I've turned out my lights; my computer screen's glowing softly and I'm nearly asleep, my eyes drooping and I'm sprawled on my bed.

BAM BAM BAM

What the?

I shoot up from bed in a panic.

BAM BAM BAM

It's the front door. I spring out of my room and rush across the living room, my heart shooting out of my chest.

I slam open the door and this stunning girl is standing there, her face glistening with tears, the mascara clouded under her eyes, which only makes her look prettier.

"It's you! I'm so glad!" She hiccups and launches herself into my arms. "I think maybe I had too much to drink? And I can't go home? I'll sleep here."

I'm panicked. She wants to sleep here? I don't want her here! She's definitely not sleeping in the living room- so that leaves-

"Your room…" she's muttering sleepily. Sidestepping me, she stumbles toward my room. I'm rooted to the spot. There's no way I can tell her no, go back to the party that made you cry. But I don't want her here either!

Finally the frigid breeze brings me to my sense and I shut the front door. Inside my room she has pulled a blanket over herself. She's on my bed.

Again, rooted. I can't sleep in bed with her! I don't even know her! She must be seriously drunk though. It takes a few moments, but her sniffling is soon changed to the soft sounds of regular breathing.

Looking at her, I sigh and pull out the yoga mat I've never used and an extra blanket from the closet. I lay down on the floor. I can't sleep for awhile though. I keep getting more and more nervous. Why is she crying? Did something happen? Is she going to throw up in my bed?

Finally, at about half past four, I feel myself disappear.

Too soon, the light's in my eyes and the discomfort of the floor wakes me up. It's not one of those mornings where you wake up disoriented. I am totally aware that I've been sleeping on my floor all night. That a drunk hysterical girl took my bed. And I'm not feeling too altruistic about it.

I hear the creature stirring on my bed. "Erm…" And then a yawning voice. "Where am I?"

A yawning, decidedly male voice.

I shoot up from the floor and find myself backed against the wall.

She- he? sits up and starts to grumble. "How could I fall asleep with this on?" He pulls off the wig.

Ohmygod it's a boy. A boy. slept. in. my. bed. How could I let a boy sleep in my bed? MY BED? A BOY?

He looks around blearily. "Oh yeah! I remember now! Hippie girl let me stay the night! It was a wild party. I haven't had that much fun in ages."

Fun? She'd been crying- he'd been crying! A guy dressed as a girl had been sobbing at my door last night.

"What do you look so astonished about?" He suddenly seems to notice that I'm pasted to the wall and well, um, unable to move.

I blink rapidly, taking in the scene. His makeup is smeared, his clothes wrinkled, light brown chin length hair falling out of a ponytail.

"You're a guy?" I finally choke out

"Oh? You didn't know?"

How could I have known? When would he have told me?

Comments Appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

"Yaaaaw.." He yawns and stretches, rubbing at his eyes. "Oh god," he mutters. "I fell asleep with makeup on too! How could I be so absent minded? Mind if I borrow some makeup remover?"

"Um I don't think I can help you with that…"

"Well why not?"

"Well you see, I'm not in the particular habit of painting my face in order to meet archaic social standards that have no bearing on-"

"So you don't wear any makeup at all?" He asks it deadpan, totally unimpressed.

"Well-no-"

"Guess I'll just have to use soap then," He says, going to stand up.

I find myself blocking the door. "You can't go out there! They might see you!"

"They?"

"They can't know that you're in here. They can't know that ANYONE let alone a guy stayed in my room last night-"

He cocked his head to the side. "Oh, I get it. You're a virgin."

I feel my face purple with the rush of blood.

"That- that-" I stutter, "has nothing to do with it!"

But now he's smiling a stupid "told you so" grin.

I grit my teeth. "Just let me check if the coast is clear. If we're lucky, no one will be awake yet."

I carefully step outside and close the door. No one is around. Kace's door is open a crack, and I glance in. She must've left already for the family thing she'd mentioned. Vera's room looks dark, and I think she's still asleep.

I tiptoe back to my room.

"Okay," I whisper. "You can come out." I gesture for him to come, and direct him the five steps to the bathroom.

He stops and turns around. "Can I borrow a washcloth?" He stage whispers.

I quickly jerk the drawer open and pull out a towel and a washcloth. I point at my shower gel and the handsoap. "Hope that works,"

He grins and gives me a thumbs up. "Should be fine!"

I hear the back door slam open. "Kii-iit! Wakeup! We're going to the farmer's market!"

I all but push him through the door, slamming it behind him.

But then I realize that they will hear the water. They will ask who it could be.

And I confess, I wasn't thinking straight.

I hurl myself through the bathroom door, shut it quickly, facing the door, careful not to look behind me in case he's I don't know… naked or something.

He starts to say something and I hiss "shhhh" jabbing my finger over my shoulder.

"Kit?" I hear them enter my room. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the bathroom! I can't come with you guys!"

"Whoa! You're awake already on a Saturday?"

"No that's okay! I'm taking a shower! I'll be awhile!" I realize I'm not even listening to them anymore.

"We can wait!"

"No really- it's fine!" I hear my voice squeaking from hysteria.

"Oooh are you sure?" Jessica whines.

"Sure I'm sure!" Please please PLEASE just go already!

"Oh okay… We understand… We'll miss you…"

I sigh a big sigh I didn't realize I'd been holding and glance behind me.

Mistake.

He's sitting on the bathtub edge. And he's sparkling. I really don't know how. But somehow in two minutes he managed to go from smudged black streaks on his face and bed-rumpled hair to this… this creature with greek profile and marble skin, hair attractively rumpled. Okay maybe not that good. But still, he looks _good_ even to my unpracticed eyes. I blush a little and turn away hoping he doesn't notice.

I sigh a hard breath as I'm looking away. "Are you done?"

When he doesn't answer right away I glance back to see him nod, smiling his dumb smile, his lips curled in a mock silence probably from my total freakout a few moments before.

He's kind of obnoxious.

All I really want when he finally leaves is to go back to sleep. But just as I'm about to pull the blankets over my head, I smell a foreign scent. And it's overwhelming and stuck to my blankets.

It's not a bad smell. It's minty and woodsy, almost sweet but not girly. Which I'm grateful for. But still. HIS smell is in my blankets. I quickly strip the bed and throw the sheets to the ground.

I lay on the stripped bed with only my flannel blanket and I surprise myself with how easily I fall back asleep.

Later I wake to the soft light of midafternoon spilling through my wooden blinds.

I see the pile of sheets on the floor and I feel oddly calm in contrast to my earlier episode of annoyance. I sigh and stretch, then claw my hand around the floor to find my cell phone. It's 4:15 in the afternoon. Yet another day gone from sleeping through it. Welcome to my life.


	4. Chapter 4

K I'm just dying to post something, and this is what I have for now. I hope y'all don't mind, but I'm thinking I'm just going to throw my crappy first drafts up so that there's something to read. I'll probably go through and edit chapters so they read better, but I'd really just like the story to start going places. So here's a n-n-n-nasty first draft. Heck yes.

* * *

I crash through the front door in a hurry to get to my room. It's not that I don't want my brother or father to see me- on the contrary, I'm happy to see them when I'm dressed up. But right now it's half-assed because the makeup's gone and the wig's a little crooked.

But that didn't stop me from getting a few catcalls on the way home. Which I dig. Why not?

Sigh! Home! Clean clothes! New makeup! A shower! I'm not even sure what happened at that party last night. Luckily granola-girl lived so close. Luckily I remembered her even in my tipsy state. I freshen up and end up in what I like to call casual comf- leggings and a baggy sweater. I fit on the blonde wig, a little mascara, some pale pink lip gloss; and call it good.

It's not that I'm a drag queen or into cross-dressing as some way to deal with a subconscious fetish. My dressing up is purely hobby- and I like to think of it as art. I love fashion. That's all there is to it. I love it and I'm good at it.

Plus. My dad, my brother, my uncle. All super serious, clean cut suits, terrible ties all the time. My brother's going to school to be a lawyer, big surprise. My uncle's in politics, and my dad is, well, I've never been sure what the old man does. But his name's on everything and he's rolling with cash. So politics is basically the cookie cutter way to go in this family. That is so definitely not what I want to be stuck doing for the rest of my life. So it kinda acts as a bonus, my crossdressing: no one'd make me go into politics if they think I'm some kind of a nut.

It's been like five hours since I got home. I fixed my nails, scrolled through the soc sites a few times, trying to see what there was to do tonight. But I gotta admit, I'm bored. That girl is on my mind. Ew, no not like _that_. Honestly, I just keep finding myself thinking about her lifestyle. Wondering how she lives her life so- disconnected from reality. So, _sheltered_. The poor thing's probably never even been to a party. And if she's that bad, what are her roommates, who she didn't even want seeing me, like?

I spring up from the purple lovesac that has taken over a corner of my room. It's decided. I'm heading to her house for my fun tonight. Probably, the lack of nightlife will have all the roommates home. And I'd love to meet them. Plus, I want to see what's her name again. Why not? Harmless fun, right?


	5. Chapter 5

Phew! I finally wrote another segment into the mix! There was a lot going on so it's kinda lengthy. Some of it's word for word from the show which I think is kind of fun :) So, yeep. Please comment and let me know if you like it, if there's something you'd like to see, something you'd like to change. THANKS FOR READING!

Oh, and btw: I changed Tess's name to Victoria. I'll have to go back through and change that. Just so you know, the rooomates are: Victoria, Jessica, Sara, Vera, and Kace. (In terms of the show, Victoria is most similar to Chieko, Jessica to Mayaya, Sara to Banba, Vera to Jiji, and Kace to Mejiro (the mangaka lady) though I guess this'll be pretty obvious as you read.)

K cheers!

* * *

Usually we save our big meals for Sunday nights, but having been to the farmer's market that morning, Jessica and Victoria wanted to use up the tomatoes, cilantro, and lettuce they'd bought as soon as possible. So we were making soft tacos with marinated pulled pork.

"Ah! You know what this meal needs?" Jessica suddenly called out as she stirred the pork. "An avocado. Kit could you be a dear and run to the store to grab one?"

"And some onions too," Sara called from her chopped tomato pile.

"Ah, okay sure," I pull my hands out of the soapy water. I'd been washing prep dishes.

"Just one avocado? Or would you prefer two?" I'm yelling over my shoulder as I walk out the front door. And into what feels like two hard plastic bowling balls.

I jump back in shock.

He's standing there. His hair a gossamer golden brown, reaching his waist. His lips an orangey pink. His outfit an outlandish orange and pink ensemble that I can hardly look at.

"WHAT are you doing here?" I'm pretty sure I made it very clear that he wasn't welcome here. Wig or not.

He smiles his dumb, know it all smile. "I wanted to meet your roommates. I figured, given your total aversion to boys that it would be kinder if I came back in drag,"

"I didn't want you to come back at all," I stop myself. Why am I being such a jerk? "Well, I was just headed to the store-"

"Who is it Kit?" Jessica calls from the kitchen.

"It's my frie- acquaintance from school,"

He mock-frowns in my direction as he flounces past me. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," His voice has returned to the lighter, feminine one that I'd heard when we'd first met.

All my roommates, every single stupid one of them, stops what they're doing and let their mouths drop a little. They're stunned by this gorgeous girl… This prep, this CHEERLEADER, that is IN OUR HOME.

Their eyes go from his face to mine, and then quickly back again. Finally Victoria remembers herself and greets him quickly. Then she looks at me, "Dinner's almost ready" she announces pointedly.

I shrug my shoulders helplessly. What am I going to do, tell him to leave?!

"Oh dinner?" He asks excitedly, bounding into the kitchen. "What are you having? Can I help make anything? Can I help with _that_?" He asks Sara, who is grating cheese. Stone-faced, and shocked I think, she lets him grab the grater.

He goes at it voraciously, knocking cheese all over the place.

"Actually, I was headed to the store to grab some avocados. Why don't you come with me?" I all but rip him from the room.

"Okay sure!" He grins stupidly and flounces out behind me.

We silently make our way to the store, which is conveniently located only three blocks away. The joys of living in a small college town.

Inside, I grab at the produce bag with maybe too much force, pulling out like five sheets.

"Whoa!" He says, stopping the roll. "What is it? What's wrong?"

I grab a single bag and I don't answer. I stalk over to the avocados. What _is_ wrong? I don't know. I was just hoping that I'd never see this… this GUY again. He rubs me the wrong way for one thing. And I just… The really sad thing, the pathetic thing? If I thought of him as a girl, "she" looked really really pretty. And I just didn't know how to act around someone like that. Compound it with the fact that "she" was actually a guy, the sex I'd managed to avoid talking to for most of my life, it just made for an incredibly uncomfortable situation. I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. But what do I tell him? There's nothing I can say.

"It's nothing. I just… thought I made it clear that my roommates weren't supposed to know about you."

"Huh? I thought that was just because you didn't want them knowing you'd had a boy sleeping over last night. And I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from there. The number of girls I've had to sneak out of my room-"

"And that-" I cut him off, "is another thing. We're like, extremely conservative? We've basically sworn off all se- anything that could be considered inappropriate. We call our house "the nunnery". So like, things like that? Shouldn't even come close to our house. And, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm pretty anti-social. I don't think my roommates can even comprehend it if I suddenly had a friend. Like, it would just throw off the balance of our lives you know? So like, if you could just, like go home? It would be a relief for everyone not to throw off that balance-" I can feel the words turning to BS as I try to justify whatever the crap it is I'm trying to say.

We've gotten to the self-checkout at this point.

"Hmmm," he says, like what I'm saying is more entertaining than serious. I guess I'm glad I haven't offended him yet. But I wish he'd get the message.

He doesn't.

"We're back," I say without much enthusiasm.

"Oh you are," Victoria comes to the living room doorway. She glances up to see that we still have a visitor and I see her indicate to Sara that we'll need another plate set up. I guess they were hoping I'd get rid of him too.

We sit down to eat. And it really does smell delicious. But, like, no one's serving themselves.

The stylish looks around expectantly, "Come now! Let's get this meal started!" He grabs the tongs and gives everyone a warm tortilla. "Is there anything you don't want on it?" He asks generally, then starts serving everyone the pulled pork.

It's really really awkward. Everyone's just like staring, unable to respond.

"Kit, a word!" Jessica whispers, then pulls me out into the hall. "Look, this is our big weekly meal! Everyone feels super awkward having this stylish stranger here! Is there any way you can get her to leave?"

"I can't just kick her out!" I whisper back. "That would be so rude! I already tried talking to her and she didn't budge! I don't know why she's so interested in being here."

"Could you try talking to her again? The presence of a female stylish is making it so none of us can even think about eating!"

Female stylish. Well she got half of that right.

We creep back into the kitchen, where everyone is still frozen in place.

"This pork is pretty tasty stuff huh!" He manages to say through a mouthful of taco.

"Yeah, meat, uh yum," I say stupidly, trying to get the courage to talk to him again.

"It's Kit right?" He asks.

"Uhm yeah," I guess he'd picked up my name somewhere along the way.

"Okay Kit! What would you like on your taco?" He asked as he grabbed the tongs and placed lettuce and tomatoes on my plate. I glance around at everyone else, and I'm pretty sure we're all thinking the same thing. He was being like, _too _friendly. Too helpful. "Is there anything you don't want?"

"Uhm, no, I like it all."

"Oh good you can have my tomato. If there's anything this guy doesn't like, it's tomato."

I can almost hear the ticking of my roommates minds. _this guy? _

"Hahaaha!" I laugh maniacally. "Yeah guys, she doesn't like tomatoes! Right guys? Guys?" They all kinda look at me strangely. "So guys, what have you been up to this week?" I ask crazily, hoping for ANYTHING to get this moment forgotten.

"Well, I dropped Vera off at the bookstore on Thursday," Victoria offered.

"Oh that's right. I passed by the videogames on the way to the booksigning. Sara, did you see the newest Deathly Ends video game is out? The cover was horrific."

"Already bought and beat" Sara smiled smugly. "Couldn't sleep last night. I kept thinking I heard the front door opening. I had to play an old classic game to calm down!"

I tried to keep my expression calm. She _had _heard the door last night.

"What book signing was it?" Sara asked Vera.

"Oh, the latest in this great series about the physical properties of light. I had to get my textbook signed."

"Horror videogames? Textbook signings? I get it now. Is everyone who lives here a total geek? Or perhaps you'd call it nerd," He broke into the conversation, looking expectantly at each of us.

We all gasped. _Geek? Nerd? _It was only okay to call ourselves those things. Not be labeled by some stylish!

I jumped up and dragged him out of the room.

"Please, if you don't want me to end up homeless, you have to leave!" I whisper urgently.

"Oh come on, I'm sure they don't care if you have a friend. And I came here as a girl so as long as nobody finds out everything's cool right?"

"And- and you can't refer to yourself as a guy!"

"Did I do that?" He actually seems to have forgotten.

"Yes!" I gripe. "Why did you want to come back here anyway?"

"Duh! I told you I wanted to come back and hang out."

"But why would you want to hang out with us?" I just. do not. get. this guy.

"What a dumb question. Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!"

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit!_

He… wanted. to. see. ME?

I feel myself flush and fall backward.

Me? He came back for... me? A guy... came to see me? A GUY?

The blood rushed all too quickly to my head and everything's a blur. Suddenly somehow we're both sitting at the table again. And I'm just as frozen as my roommates were.

"I thought you were going to get rid of her," Jessica whispers under her breath, jabbing me in the side with her elbow. "What the heck?"

"Jessica honey, did you want some pork too?" He's suddenly asking

Jessica looks kind of shocked. "Jessica? Honey?" She asks. Then I hear her muttering things under her breath. I caught her saying something about "no one from her tribe should call me something like "honey"."

"But isn't that your name? I thought I heard Vera here call you that earlier. Vera darling, didn't you want some more than that? It's not healthy to eat just like a little bird."

"Actually how I eat isn't anyone's business," I heard Vera say softly before she too started muttering to herself.

"Look," Sara suddenly said boldly. "We'll make our own tacos. They'll get all soggy if they sit too long. We can EACH make our own tacos." She stood up and left the room.

Vera silently followed.

Jessica looked up at Vera, shocked. "Don't leave me here," She panicked. Then she too picked up her plate and ran out of the kitchen.

My stomach dropped, watching them leave.

"Why'd they all go?"He asked, bemused.

"I'm sorry to have to say this, but it's clear the ladies in this house don't exactly share your enthusiasm." Victoria stated. "That is, and I'll say this just as plainly as I can. There isn't anybody here who has even the slightest interest in trying to be your friend. My family owns this house and so with that authority, I ask you now to leave and please don't return."

I gulped and looked at him, to see if he'd finally have a reaction.

He looks a bit put out, but not hugely angry or upset. "Alright. I'm sorry."

And then he stood up to leave.

"I-I'll walk you home," I say, also jumping up. I felt horrible. But, I mean, I'd tried to warn him.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, so this really isn't my best. I'm still not sure of names... I've had the hardest time coming up with Kuranosuke's name for this so bleah but whatever. This chapter is kinda sucky, but I really just want to get on with the good stuff so bear with me if you can U_U As always, comments are appreciated and begged for :P

"You okay?" I asked as we traipsed through the darkened streets. He'd been quiet for a good five minutes and it had me worried.

"Mmm, yeah." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I really was having a good time, but I guess I went a bit overboard."

"I wouldn't say that.." I said quickly, my manners jumping out of my throat again. But, I mean, what was I supposed to say? "_Yeah you shouldn't have invited yourself over like that and started serving food that wasn't yours to serve"_? People don't want to hear stuff like that. Even if it _is_ the truth. "We're just too different. You and us. I mean, you said it. We're geeks. Nerds. You're…" I trailed off. "A stylish." I finally muttered.

"A what?"

"Nevermind." I quicklyinterject.

"You see the thing is, everyone in my family is always so busy." He went on, unperturbed. "We hardly ever eat together. It was nice eating a big meal with a group of people who actually seem to enjoy being around each other." His voice took on an uncharacteristic seriousness that I hadn't heard before.

I bit my lip as we walked in silence. His words took me back to Sundays at home, back when things weren't so crazy. "Yeah, I miss that." I hear myself say.

"Huh? Don't you ladies eat together often like that?"

"Oh, yeah, we do. But, that's not what I was talking about."

"Oh?"

I try to explain, without getting bogged down in the details. I'm sure he doesn't care about my personal life to that extent. "It's just, my family used to eat meals together like what you're saying. But, it's been a long time now."

"Oh? Since you're in college?"

"Well, yeah… But well, other things come up ." I attempt to explain without saying too much. I really don't want to get into it.

"Huh. Where are you from, Kit?"

"Still in the state. About three hours away."

"That is kind of far. It'd be difficult to visit."

"Well yeah. Especially because I don't have a car. But things are different at home now anyway. Back when I was young on Sundays-"

"Oh crap! The old man is home." He cut me off, his voice sounding angry and very male again.

I went from feeling some relief that I'd been saved from bearing my soul to this guy, to sudden absolute shock as I saw the estate he was glaring at.

"What? You LIVE here?" I stumble out.

"He's never home this time of night, especially on a Saturday!" He continued to gripe.

We are standing at a gated archway facing an enormous house. I realize I've never really been up this street before. In fact, I'm not really even sure where we are. Some private neighborhood?

The screeching of breaks behind us snap me from my shocked musing.

We turn to see a young man dressed in expensive looking clothes jump from a very expensive looking car.

I freeze, totally overwhelmed. He looks like he just marched out of one of those fashion magazines my step-sister used to have laying around. Like, hair gelled, neatly pressed pants and suitcoat with brown-rimmed, classy spectacles. Medium built, muscular. Very attractive. Like, I don't even look at men ever. But I saw all this in one overwhelming blow and I couldn't move.

"Corie!" He yells, striding towards us. "You're dressed like that again? Don't you know Dad's home?"

Corie? I suddenly realize all this time, and I didn't know the stylish's name.

"Brother!" Corie calls out, overly feminine and gushing. "Can't you do me a favor? We still have that gelato from the party right? Be a dear and grab it for me!"

"What the heck? Get it yourself."

"Oh but, if I go in there, I'd have to ask Dad to get it for me," He pouts all cutesy, his finger against his lip.

His brother looks troubled. "Just, stay out here!" And he makes a run for it toward the mansion.

"Tsk," Corie says. "He always asks so tough but Ben's really just a pushover."

I still can't move. Or talk. Or anything.

Soon, Ben's running back with something in a paper bag. "Here." He says as he shoves it toward Corie.

"Thaaanks!" Corie calls and turns to go.

"Come back soon, okay? Dad worries."

"Oh don't be absurd. He won't be worried about me."

"You didn't even come home last night. Of course father was worried!"

"I was fine. I just stayed at a friend's house. And he couldn't have been _that _worried. He had a meeting with Spain or something."

"Portugal. And he did worry. He asked about you over breakfast."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Corie rolled his eyes. "He probably just wanted to make sure I wasn't skipping out on classes again. Which I did. Woops."

Ben sighs, exasperated. "See you."

Corie waves goodbye, wiggling his fingers, and I, zombielike, marched behind him.

We got back to my house and I looked at Corie questioningly.  
"Oh, don't worry, they're going to love this," He muttered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ladies, I brought you something," He called out as we entered the house. And he pulled out the gelato.

"Is that-" I heard Victoria asked, in hushed reverence. Sara looked completely zonked. Even Vera looked interested. Jessica hyperventilated quietly in the corner.

"It's authentic gelato imported from Italy. I thought you ladies might enjoy some," The stylish announced, looking like he'd won.

Which he had.

Seriously, do you have no shame? I wondered as the bowls were passed out and everyone talked appreciatively around me as they dug into the expensive dessert. But, looking up at Corie who was laughing lightly and chattering with my roommates, it felt alright. And I was glad the evening could end here instead of banishing someone from our home.


	7. Chapter 7

It's late again. Like 2 in the morning. I'm sitting at my window, staring at the moon. Things from today keep playing in my head. Waking up to find a boy in my room. Going shopping with said boy. Feeling angry, relieved, and happy all in the space of an evening.

_Because I wanted to see YOU Kit! _

I'm jolted again by that memory. I don't know what to make of it. I honestly just can't believe it. What could he possibly see in me that would make him want to hang out with me? Seriously. He's like a total princess. And I'm…

I look up and catch a flash of my face in the closet mirror. I'm just… kind of drab. My hair's too straight and it sticks to my head. My face is too round. I don't know how to make my eyebrows look good. Most of the time I really don't care. It's my face. I don't need it to look a certain way to entertain society's ideas about how women should look.

But I don't know… Seeing a GUY look so feminine, so pretty… It says a lot about my lack.

I see my face scrunch up in annoyance in my reflection.

"God. I don't care." I mutter. Then I turn out the light and hide in my newly washed sheets, hoping for sleep to claim me sooner than later.


End file.
